In recent years, computer hardware has become increasingly integrated. Computer peripherals are often formed as part of an integrated chipset that cooperates with a central processor. Often, computer audio, graphics adapters and interfaces form part of the integrated chipsets. Such integration reduces costs and size of the computing devices.
At the same time, graphics processors are steadily evolving to provide enhanced performance and features. Leading graphics processors are nearly as complex as central processors. Thus, despite trends in integration, high performance graphics processors are still typically formed on peripheral cards. Integrated graphics processors, are by comparison, relatively simple and do not provide the features or performance of the high performance, graphics processors formed on peripheral cards. In the presence of an add-on peripheral card, integrated graphics components when present, are typically redundant and therefore disabled.
Similarly, as graphics adapters, whether integrated or external, are upgraded there is often no role for less powerful adapters, and these are disposed of or disabled.
Accordingly, there remains a need to effectively combine multiple graphics adapters, and particularly those formed as integrated chipsets and peripheral cards.